By Chance
by alexadru
Summary: Not everything that happens around us is by choice, we have to accept that sometimes destiny can make decisions that can influence our entire life. It is up to us accept those decisions and make the best out of them. IchigoxHaku.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Before reading, I just want everyone to know that my knowledge of Vocaloid is severely lacking. I just saw a picture of a depressed Haku and suddenly decided to write a fic about her. As for why I chose Ichigo and Bleach, long story short, I made a comment about the set I use on a forum that it is kinda like a love story so I gave it a try.

That said, the characters will be OOC, by how much I don't know, but I hope you'll still enjoy it.

**xxx**

It was a silent night of September, the streets on Karakura Town were expectantly uninhabited, the late hour and soft chill of the coming Fall sending people in the safety of their homes. However, not everyone made the decision to shelter themselves, one such person could be found on one of the deserted, dimly illuminated streets of the small town. It was a young girl, wrapped in her own darkness.

Said girl was collapsed on the floor on her knees, her posture slightly hunched forward as she faced away from the viewer. The soft shaking of her body as well as the quiet sobs coming from her couldn't be missed, her tearful eyes were hidden by the bangs of her soft, platinum hair. She was lost, alone and scared. Nothing mattered to her anymore, nothing could halt her pain anymore. Not the alcohol, not the dreamless sleeps, not even drowning her sorrows in songs worked anymore. It was over, her dreams and wishes were shattered into millions of pieces, her world was dead.

**xxx**

As if by chance, a lone spirit warrior was nearby patrolling the area. Said warrior was well known for his achievements in the Spirit World and his great deeds. His vibrant fiery hair fluttered in the wind, the speed of his movement doing nothing to lessen this motion. His hazel eyes, almost as sharp as the edge of his sword, scanned his surroundings, searching for his target.

Landing on the edge of a building, he once again sent a burst reiatsu to his feet that propelled him forward to the next complex. With the corner of his eyes, he saw it. A huge shadow, descending in an alleyway. As if reading his mind, the wrappings on his weapon unbinded, releasing the legendary weapon he was carrying from its clutches. Reaching to grab the handle, the young warrior landed at the location of suspicion, immediately identifying the shadowy figure. The entity was huge, its body was oddly proportioned, bulging in every direction, its huge appendages hanging loosely around the humongous body. Before it could realize what happened it was already over, in one swift motion he closed the distance and slashed the monster, its body disintegrating as the holy blade purified the corrupt soul and released it from the darkness.

Resting the large cleaver on his shoulder, the boy released a breath as the threat was eliminated. "Guess this is it for tonight. Damn hollows, don't they have anything better to do?" The owner of the voice was none other than the Hero of the Winter War himself, the Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo.

Taking one last look at the place where he purified the hollow, he disappeared once again in an impressive display of Shunpou and went to a new location. A few seconds later, he reached his destination, another back alley where he stacked his human body. Gently picking it up, he inserted his soul in it, the familiar feeling of being in his 'meat suit' settling with him. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he started making his way home, happy to be done for the day.

The orange haired boy walked on the deserted streets of Karakura Town, his path illuminated by the few lights that were still working. The night usually proved to be dangerous, even in a small and peaceful (if you are unaware of spirits that it) city like Karakura, with thieves and gangs strolling through neighborhoods causing mischief as they go. But Ichigo wasn't bothered by this and he had all the reasons why he shouldn't be. His reputation of beating up punks was well known. Once, a group of thugs surrounded him and his sister as they returned from the market, demanding their money and valuables. It only took 5 minutes, but it was all Ichigo needed to put all 10 assailers in their place, he wasn't even harmed in the exchange. With a single glare he managed to send all of them running for the hills. Since then, word spread around and now no one was stupid enough to challenge him anymore, unless they wanted some broken bones.

Enjoying the night's breeze and calm, Ichigo turned a corner when he noticed something odd in front of him. There, collapsed next to a lamppost, was a person. A closer look revealed to the boy that it was in fact a woman that was facing away from him. Slightly puzzled by the fact that there was someone on the streets in the middle of the night, let alone a girl who seemed to be dejected, he slowly approached her and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked in the calmest and most comforting voice he could muster.

As if struck by lightning, the girl jumped at the contact, her head turning violently to look at whoever touched her. Seeing her for the first time, Ichigo gaped as he absorbed her features, the woman in front of him was breathtakingly beautiful. She had long white hair, tied at the back with a black and purple bow in a ponytail. At the front, her hair almost reached her nose, obscuring his vision slightly from her eyes. But he saw them nonetheless, he saw her ruby red orbs as they regarded him intently, a tint of confusion and maybe fear reflecting from them. The soul fighter was mesmerized by her, nothing could refute the fact that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Even the tears that streamed her cheeks and the circles under her eyes did nothing to lessen that notion.

Suddenly remembering that he wanted to help her, he asked again. "What are you doing out here at this hour? It's pretty dangerous."

After hearing those words, the girl calmed down, her surprised expression shifting to an empty one as her eyes lost all their life. Lowering her head, she broke eye contact with him and resumed her previous pose.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her actions, had he said something wrong? Admittedly, dealing with girl's has never been his forte. One could say that he had no idea how to handle the more delicate problems when it came to the fairer sex, such as this one. A girl kneeled in the middle of the street, crying silently in the illuminated spot of a lamppost with bottles of alcohol lying next to her was definitely something outside of his area of expertise. But despite that, he couldn't leave her there. It was a dangerous area frequented by gangs and he wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he would just leave her like that, it was against his very nature.

He tried again, this time with a more serious tone. "You really shouldn't be out here at this hour. Come on, I'm sure your friends or your family are worried about you."

For a few seconds nothing happened, but then Ichigo felt her start shaking. The sound of her whimpers reached his ears as it sent tingles down his spine, he was starting to get worried. It didn't take long before she started crying loudly, fresh pairs of crystalline tears falling on the concreted sidewalk.

"Hey..." Ichigo called surprised before he kneeled next to her and tried to get her to calm down. "What's wrong? Was it something I said? If it's my fault then I'm sorry." Blurting soothing words and apologies, the teenager watched helplessly how the white haired beauty before him bawled her eyes out.

Thankfully, after 5 minutes, she calmed down enough to give the orange haired boy some comfort. He slowly massaged her back like they way he did to his sisters when they were sad, it usually worked and it seemed that this girl was no exception. But now he really had no idea what to do, should he call Inoue or Tatsuki and ask for their help?

"..one." The girl muttered softly, her voice barely even a whisper making Ichigo miss most of her sentence. He said nothing and waited for her to speak again, his patience paid off. "I have no one." The words managed to escape her mouth, they were still only as loud as a whisper, but at least Ichigo heard them this time.

His scowl furrowed slightly at her confession. Was this the reason why she was so sad and heartbroken? Admittedly, he could understand how loneliness could affect someone to a degree. At times, he too felt the coldness of solitude shatter his very being. Being a human with the power and responsibility to slay hollows and protect the souls of those who have passed on, his job took a lot of time out of his daily life and because of the risk it posed to ordinary humans, at some point, he slowly began distancing himself from his friends in an attempt to protect them. Fortunately for him, they were stubborn enough to ignore his wishes and joined him anyway in his adventures, their events from both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were proof to that. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened to him if his friends didn't follow him, if he faced his enemies alone. He internally shuddered at the thought.

Back to the matter at hand, Ichigo was lost on what to do to aid the fallen person next to him. Staring at her grief-stricken form, his need to help her rose to high levels, so much that he didn't take time to measure his words.

"No, you have me." He declared abruptly, surprising not only himself, but the girl as well.

"Ehh." She exclaimed softly at his statement, her head rising and turning to stare at this stranger who not only went out of his way to stop and ask what was wrong with her, but also to help and cheer her. Slowly wiping her eyes, but not saying anything, she looked at boy that stood awkwardly on his knees next to her and observed his features for the first time. He looked quite young, probably around 18 years old with vibrant, sun burnt orange hair that glowed in the light, a pair of honey brown eyes that radiated worry and strength, the desire to protect almost palpable within their intensity. He was handsome, she concluded simply and right now she couldn't help but stare wide eyed at him.

Realizing what he just blurted without thinking, Ichigo flustered slightly, his cheeks catching a rosy coloring. Damn him impulsiveness for making decisions without thinking them through. He would have to consider his next words carefully, he didn't want to hurt her, but didn't want to give her the wrong impression either.

"I mean, I will be your friend if that's what you need." He corrected himself, trying his best to stay calm and sound encouraging.

At that answer, the girl's neck tilted to the side slightly. The boy could see the confusion in her red eyes, the soft tremble of her lips as her stream of tears finally stopped. Both of them were now on their knees, facing one another, the white haired beauty's hands resting on the cold ground while Ichigo's hands were on her shoulders, keeping her steady and at the same time, unintentionally feeling the softness of her skin and how pleasant the sensation was.

"Why?" She asked in a half broken, half curious voice. It pained Ichigo slightly to hear her sound so hopeful yet so depressed, it's almost as if the very thought of someone trying to be nice with her was a foreign concept to her.

He responded softly. "I know what it's like being alone, it's not nice. Feeling so empty, so hollow on the inside, it's very painful, the ache you feel at those times is worse than any other injury." Unconsciously, one of his hands made its way to his chest, remembering those horrid 17 months of having no powers. Even with his friends, it had been a hard experience for the substitute, especially when they went after hollows and risked their lives, he felt so weak, so useless. It nearly destroyed him internally, he wasn't going to let someone else go through the same suffering.

"That's why, I'll be your friend. I know that from coming from a stranger like me it's very confusing, but this is how most friendships are born. And if you need someone to talk to, hang out or even just to keep you company, you can count on me. So what do you say, do you want us to become _nakama_?" He stopped there and waited for her.

The girl slowly absorbed all he said and couldn't help but by surprised by this stranger. And she had all the reasons to be, _he_ was the one that came to her when she was weeping and _he_ was the one that asked her to become friends. It was almost like a dream, one that she desperately wanted to become reality. Rising her face a bit, she started searching his eyes, looking for any hint that this might be a joke, a cruel and sadistic play meant to utterly crush her spirit. But when she found none in his intense and warm eyes, a tremor went through her body as she decided on what to do next.

Gently, she lifted her hands and slowly grabbed the one that was at his chest, bringing it closer to her. She allowed her cheek to brush against it as she basked herself in the feeling, it was so inviting, so pleasant that she never wanted to let go. Glancing at him again, she took in his form one more time before she made her mind. Tightening her hold on his hand, her lips twitched upward as she gave him her silent answer

That's all it took for him to know her decision. No words were needed, no gestures or anything, just her soft, dazzling smile brightening her entire face making her even more stunning than before. As if mesmerized by her, Ichigo couldn't help but allow a grin to materialize on his face.

He slowly got on his feet, the girl mimicking his actions all while never letting go of his hand during the exchange. It was then when he noticed her attire. Her lower side consisted of a pair of short white booths, black bell bottom pants that hugged her shapely legs gorgeously. Moving above, he was greeted with a small grey top that gave him an ample view of her cleavage and toned waist, the only thing that covered them was a single purple tie.

Realizing that it was a bit chilly for such a wardrobe, he went the gentlemen's route and took off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders. He then slowly tucked her long silver hair, bringing it outside of the jacket before arranging it slightly. The proximity of his actions caused him to softly brush on her skin, sending shivers down both their spines.

When he was done he took a step back and gazed at her. "Since it's so late, you mind if I walked you home?" He asked giving her another encouraging smile.

Smiling in return, the girl nodded before wrapping her both arms around his right arm and resting her head on his shoulder. As soon as she felt the contact, she realized just how much she liked his warmth. When she held his hand, she felt so safe, so protected, it was as if there was an invisible barrier that sheltered her from harm.

The boy was carefully looking at her before he remembered something. "That's right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, it's nice meeting you." He spoke calmly, his voice clear ad strong.

"Yowane Haku." She muttered softly from his shoulder, too content with drowning in the boy's warmth to even open her eyes. "Thank you, Ichigo." She nuzzled a bit more into his shoulder, a pretty blush present on her cheeks as she breathed in his scent, it was comforting.

His smile widened in response. With that they slowly started making their way through the lonely, barely illuminated streets on Karakura Town, the glowing moon adding that extra bit of light needed for them to safely make their way. It was by chance that they met, it was their decision to become friends and it will be their choice to nurture this bond.

**xxx**

AN: There you have it, another random one shot that I never planned. Funny how around a year ago I did the same thing with my GrayLu story for Fairy Tail. Kinda weird if you ask me. So, I really don't have much to say this time around, I still hope to get some responses concerning how I did with this story. You know, constructive criticism and all that.

That's it I suppose, might as well get back to my 'Death God' now.

Bye-bye.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hello everyone. This isn't a chapter, just a notice from me. I just want to say something so I'll keep this as simple as possible, but the idea is that I've been thinking about continuing this story. I know that originally I intended this to be only a one shot but these past weeks I've completely fallen in love with Haku, so much that I want to write about her and a story of her and Ichigo will be quite interesting I believe, or at the very least different than the norm.

Like I said in the AN for the first chapter, I know nothing about Vocaloid or the characters. So I would like to ask if someone would be kind enough give me some pointers like. Who are the characters that usually interact with Haku what are they like, what do they do? I've tried searching on Wiki, but I didn't get much so I tried reading some fanfics instead. I did get a basic idea on what I could write, but I still need more information on certain things.

For example, the characters I noticed are written the most with Haku are: Dell, Neru, Miku, Kaito, Meiko, Luka, Akaito, Rin and Len. And does Haku have a cat? I need to know more about them. Do they have a back story I can find and read? What are their personalities like? Things like that.

Once I've gotten a better grasp on Vocaloid, I can hopefully come up with a plot and story that you will all like.

Well, since I'm doing this, might as well respond to your reviews as well. Most of you guys wanted me to continue so rejoice, I will be doing that.

: For some reason your name is familiar to me. You either must read my other story or we have similar tastes and we've read the same stories. Anyway, I'll continue this so don't worry. I don't know how many chapters it will take, but it won't be something big. At most, I'll probably finish somewhere around 50k words. But no baby, I'm not into that.

**Guest**: Hello stranger. I don't know your name, but thank you for the review.

**It Pennywise**: Thanks for the praise. I've noticed that there aren't many Bleach x Vocaloid stories and that is kinda sad. I hope you'll have your wish and someone will write and Ichigo x Luka story, but I hope you'll enjoy this one as well.

: Haha, calm down, I'll continue this. I like your enthusiasm though, it's encouraging. Thank you for the review.

Oh yeah, another thing, I edited the first chapter slightly and fixed some mistakes. If you guys notice something amiss, please tell me so that I can correct it.

And for those who want to know, 'Death God' will be updated by Sunday and this time I mean it. I'll explain more in the AN of that chapter.

So, this is all I wanted to say. Until next time.

Bye bye.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey guys, me again. Here's the second chapter. Hope you like it.

**xxx**

The pair was walking slowly on the lone street, no one else was around at such an early hour. It wasn't even light yet and sunrise was still hours away. That only left the few working lampposts to light up their darkened path. The chilling air of the coming fall was breathing in their faces, but it wasn't strong enough to be a bother, not when both of them were so close together.

Ichigo was going at a steady pace, one that was set up by the girl he was helping. It was a little bit slower than his normal one, but not slow enough to feel like he was dragging her along. As they've been going for almost 15 minutes, the substitute averted his gaze from the road a couple of times during their walk in order to steal a few glances at her. She was close to him, his right arm practically taken hostage in her embrace though her grip wasn't strong enough to stop the blood flow and cause any wound, just enough for the substitute to feel like she was borrowing it as a portable pillow at the moment.

As it was, the contact was embarrassing for the orange hair boy, his lack of experience with girls being clearly evident as he was constantly suppressing a small blush that threatened to conjure on his face. Normally, he would have quickly voiced his discomfort and attempt to break all forms of contact, but considering the girl he was currently escorted had a big breakdown not even an hour ago, Ichigo just didn't have the heart to do anything that might cause her mood to deter, especially now when she looked so content and peaceful. For her sake, he decided to just let her hold on to him. It didn't make it any easier for him, not when he could definitely feel her blessed and soft breasts pressing tightly against his arm as well as the her head leaning intimately on his shoulder.

The girl in person felt very happy at the moment. It was so strange, not to mention uncharacteristic of her to feel in such a way in the presence of this stranger that just became her friend. But she couldn't help it, most of her left she had felt left out and alone, depression was a constant in her daily time as well as the feeling of failure, that she would never be able to accomplish anything no matter how much she tried. It created a coldness in her heart, as well as a void that was tearing her from the inside. She hated that feeling, she hated because it made her feel so weak, so worthless. Searching for ways to relieve her suffering, she tried putting all her emotions into her songs. It proved to be an useless attempt as it only brought negative comments from the listeners.

Almost reaching the point of collapse, she drowned herself on the path of alcohol in a last attempt to alienate her pain. It worked, though only partially. The alcoholic drinks did manage to mitigate her pain and fill her up with warmth, enabling her to display positive emotions her normal self wouldn't be able to. Unfortunately, the alcohol only worked so long it was in her system, once it would all be fleshed out she'd be back to her normal self.

However, while the alcohol did work, all the credit for helping her keep her sanity as well as have a somewhat normal life had to go to her brother Dell and her best friend Neru. If it hadn't been for these two she would have fallen a long time ago, they were her pillars that still kept her going and she owned everything to them.

Yet, for everything she owed them, she still didn't treat them as well as they deserved. Since she lived with Dell in a two room apartment and since only he had a stable job, the white haired male worked very hard to be able to cover for their expenses. That meant also paying for everything she bought, including all her alcohol on top of her other necessities. Being part of the Vocaloids, she also tried bringing in some money by going at their studio and recording songs. However, in order for her to get promoted and earn her pay, her songs need to sell and that was her biggest problem. She couldn't come up with anything that can please the masses of listeners. Even her own fan base, a really modest number, was unsatisfied with the quality of her recent tracks. Low sales meant no money since part of it went into the studio's maintenance as well as her fee for her to remain and keep working at the studio. Things were looking very bad for her as far as work went, her manager kept pressuring her more and more to try and compose a melody that will become a hit, plus the daily stresses she had because of current state, it was affecting her life greatly. In a negative way.

Then was Akita Neru, the first person to befriend her since getting the job at the studio. She was one of the newer Vocaloids, she wasn't terribly popular, but her songs attracted a decent amount of people and has been having a steadily growing fan base since then. When she first started working, she was as lost as leaf in a gale of wind, but then the small blonde came to her rescue and showed her the way around and how things worked. She also presented her to the other members, they were kind and welcoming, but she saw from the beginning that they were successful people, unlike her. Her kind and their kind could never work together. Still, Neru kept pushing her and gave her nonstop advice, all in order for her to change for the better and improve her life.

These two tried so hard for her, but she was letting them down. She wasn't strong, other could maybe get past her problems easily, but they were strong, she wasn't. As such, she was stuck at this level, unable improve herself, unable to attain happiness.

That's what lead her on this certain night to stray from her usual path towards her shared home and instead wonder off aimlessly during town at hours past her normal curfew, her mood desolate and soul broken. As usual, she tried forgetting her sorrows by consuming large quantities of alcohol. Like always, it worked for about an hour, maybe two, but after the effects wore off she found herself in the middle of the night in one of the dirty alleyways of Karakura.

As her mind started working better she looked around her and got to see for the first time what was she surrounded by. Silently, she glanced at a broken piece of mirror that was leaning on a wall. The picture nearly made her heart stop. It was her, dirty and pathetic, every piece of filth on the mirror imprinted on her image as though it was real. Was that how she truly was? Was that how she was going to end up if she continued on with her path?

At that moment, she felt something snap in her, something break. Her breath got harder in a way that it synched with her rising heartbeat. Her chest constricted as an unexplainable fear rooted itself deep within her soul. Taking a step back, she kept her eyes on the piece of mirror, her figure beginning to tremble, a chilling wind blowing making her hair flow slightly.

Nothing happened for the first few moments, but then, without warning, the mirror broke. Not even a second after the incident, the white haired girl bolted in a sprint, running wherever her legs took her and as far away from the shattered mirror as possible. But no matter how much she ran, she couldn't escape it, the feeling that, alongside that mirror, which was like a distorted reflection of herself, her soul also shattered. Exhausted, her pace slowed down considerably as she felt all her forces abandon her, her body beginning to shut down as well. She was now dragging herself along, using the wall next to her as support, her hope to at least reach her and Dell's apartment.

But she lost the fight and stopped dead in her tracks. Under the hazy light of a lamppost the girl just dropped, her knees hitting the concreted sidewalk. She felt the last bit of her will, the last of bit of her fire and desire to live extinguish completely. Emptiness and icy coldness, both feelings settled within her as tears started falling from her eyes. It was pointless, nothing mattered to her anymore.

It was not long after that he came. Being pretty much cut off from the world due to her grief, the sudden contact she felt when someone touched her shoulder awoke her instantly. Scared, she looked to see what fate would have in store for ruining her life again. But against all her beliefs, it was nothing more than a boy, one that stopped to see if he could help her.

After her break down in front of him, she heard him talk to her and offer her to be her friend. His words were confusing, it was as if he understood exactly what she was going through. She was doubtful at first, but the sincerity and honesty of his tone and not to mention his eyes slowly convinced her that he was indeed telling the truth. It was so daunting to her, that he would go out of his way and even offer to befriend her, her, some random girl on the street. She just couldn't believe people like him existed.

Weakly, she searched for his hand and brought it to her face. The moment she felt their skins touch, she felt it. A warmth unlike no other just burst inside her, like a ranging inferno that entered her skin and coursed through her veins, reaching her core and igniting her dying flame. She had never felt in such a way before, but it was an exhilarating feeling, one that she never wanted to part with. Finding his eyes, she noted that they carried the same heat, the same intensity that was now mending her broken spirit. And that was all she needed in order to answer him.

Neither said anything as they walked, though Ichigo did feel the silence getting to him slowly. He wasn't that much of a talkative person, but even he felt the need sometimes to exchange words and he felt that he should get a better idea on what made the white haired girl reach such a point.

"So how much until we get to your home?" He asked quietly, preferring to start easy and build his way up to the main subject.

Hearing his voice, the girl opened her eyes and looked around to pinpoint their location. Her conclusion came moments later. "Oh my." Stopping dead on her tracks, her sudden action caused the substitute to stop as well before he raised an eyebrow at her. Almost sheepishly, she slightly averted her gaze, breaking eye contact between them. "I think we've been going the wrong way. I live near to the General Hospital."

The General Hospital. There are two things that come to Ichigo's mind when he hears the name of that place. The first, that it was where Ishida's father worked, and second, that it was pretty much in the opposite direction of their initial path.

Ichigo didn't say anything for a few moments, he just stared at her and observed how her expression twisted again is a desolate one. He released a breath and ran a hand through his hair to calm himself. "Alright, let's go then." With that, he prompted her to start walking in the right direction. He supposed it didn't matter much at this point, it was already late, another twenty minutes or half an hour wouldn't change much.

Slightly startled by his calm response, Haku nodded and went along with him. She expected him to get at least a bit upset with her since she should have noticed where they were headed, but instead he was going easy on her and was being very understanding. Embarrassed, she walked a little bit further from him than before, not enough to let go of his arm, but enough for her to realize that she had been very close to him before. Technically, they were still strangers, their bond not having been properly formed yet and she wasn't the type to throw herself at people. Her earlier behavior must have been caused by her distressed state, now though she had more control over herself.

The boy noticed her more distant position as well and was thankful for it. He could relax a bit and talk to her easier without fighting his own emotions. And that brought fort another problem, what should they talk about?

"So, uhm, Haku. What do you do for a living?" He started awkwardly, unsure if it was a subject she was willing to discuss. For all he knew, it might be what brought her in this state to begin with. He couldn't help but feel that he was partly right when he felt her tighten her grip on his arm and her smile falter.

Reluctantly, she answered. "I'm one of the Vocaloids." Her simple reply carried no emotion, it was as if the word didn't mean anything to her. And honestly speaking, why should it? At no point in her carrier did she feel successful and the small bouts of happiness when she gained her fans do not count, not when the majority of them are complaining about her music now.

"A Vocaloid?" Ichigo exclaimed slightly. He had heard of them. Apparently they were a group of singers that recorded songs in a studio and then they would be broadcasted on the radio. They even have their own channel and the good Vocaloids even got to hold some live concerts. He knew this because both his sisters are really big fans of another Vocaloid, one by the name of Megurime Luka. He remembered them asking him to take them to one of her concerts and since he couldn't resist the combined forces of their puppy dog faces, he conceded and took them. It wasn't all bad, her music sounded pretty good despite it not being his style, and the pink haired girl's beauty was pleasing to his eyes.

Since then Ichigo had been listening to them from time to time, though he never really bothered to find out more about the singers. It came as no surprise to him that he didn't recognize Haku's name, but he would have remembered her voice if one of her songs had played on the radio had he been listening. "Well, that must be nice." He tried giving her a smile, but it dropped instantly when she felt her almost go limp next to him. _"Alright, so her problem has something to do with her job."_ The orange haired teenager thought to himself. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start.

"It's nice if you're famous and talented. A failure like me can never obtain what the others have." He almost missed her quiet comment, her voice almost inaudible.

Unsure of what to say, Ichigo began talking about himself. "I'm in my last year of high school at Karakura High." With that he started going into an explanation about where he lived and what his hobbies, likes, dislikes were and things like that, anything to calm her mind a bit. In response, the white haired girl also shared some of her information.

Like before, Ichigo had once again addressed the cause of her distress after he raised her spirits. Thankfully, she was gradually opening up to him as she was getting more comfortable with his presence. From what he found out, it was obvious to him that the girl was having a hard time, the demands of her manager, her insecurities as well as the response of her fans pushed her very close to the edge. It seemed to be going for a while as well and while she did claim that the alcohol she had been drinking to help her cope didn't affect her in a negative way, Ichigo wasn't convinced at all.

Finding out the cause of her issue, he changed topics to something more casual, like the weather... Give him a break, talking to a girl was a tedious task for him. He'd much rather face Grimmjow again with only his Shikai, it would be a lot more painful no doubt, but he'd be in his element and he'd know exactly what to do.

After a few more minutes of walking, he felt his companion tug his arm slightly and made him turn to her. She pointed out a small four story apartment complex that was at most two streets away. Using the power of deduction, Ichigo surmised that it must've been their destination.

Arriving at the building, the girl lead him up on the outdoor stair and stopped at a door on the second floor. "This is it." He heard her speak, a slight edge to her voice, one that carried a small trace of fear. This didn't go unnoticed by the experienced warrior.

"Is something wrong?" He found himself asking, hid worry not missing from his voice. Hearing the emotion in his voice, it brought Haku a small amount of joy knowing that it was mostly directed at her. Still, there was a problem she had to tell him about.

"Well, it's my brother. I didn't come home like I usually do and he must be worried...and angry." She said the last part under her breath, but she was pretty sure that the orange haired boy got it anyway. Now all that needed to be done is to think of a way to deal with Dell.

"You have a brother?" He asked, somewhat surprised by the revelation. She answered him with a nod and the substitute calmed down and began thinking about the situation. Since he was a brother as well, he could put himself in her brother's shoes and imagine how he would react if either Yuzu or Karin arrived home at such an hour. "I think he might be angry, I know I'd be." He replied after a pause. "But I know he'll also be glad to see you safe, you're his sister after all. Worrying and caring about you is his job, so even if he's upset, I'm sure that he'll forgive you."

Hearing his words, she couldn't help but feel that all of them came from experience. But she knew her brother, she knew that despite his cold appearance, which was mostly due to the large amount of work and stress he had on his shoulders, he was always there for her. Sure they argued sometimes, but he always had her best interest at heart. If only she could show how much his efforts meant to her and how much she appreciated everything he did for her.

Releasing a calming breath, she mustered enough courage to let go of her escort's arm and approach the wooden door. Raising her hand, she knocked three times, a bit louder than how she usually does it. There was no response from the other side. Puzzled, she knocked again, even louder this time. Still nothing.

"What's wrong?" She heard the voice of the orange haired boy from behind her.

"I don't think he's home." She replied, a part of her getting worried over Dell. Where could he have gone? As she though what could have happened it suddenly hit her. "Could he be, looking for me?" She asked no one in particular, but Ichigo answered anyway.

"Maybe, I know I'd be out searching for my sisters if one of them didn't come home." He said honestly, a strong edge in his voice. After what happened with Shuren and Kokutou, he's been taking extra care when it came to his sisters.

His response only made the girl lower her head in shame. Panicking slightly, Ichigo approached her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Look, maybe he's not that far. You could give him a call and tell him that you're safe and that he can come home." He tried cheering her up.

Nodding at his suggestion, she pulled her own key out of her pocket of her pants and unlocked the door. Before opening it, she took off his jacked slowly and returned it to him after folding it slightly. "Here, thank you for letting me use it." She gave him a small smile in appreciation, slightly tensing when her uncovered skin fell in contact with the cold air. It really was getting colder.

"No problem." Ichigo responded, smiling briefly himself. He took his jacked and put it on, slightly noticing that it was already warmed up, courtesy of the girl that used it for the past hour. As he turned to her and was about to say his goodbyes, he saw her looking once again at the ground with a sorrowful expression, one of her hands hugging her other arm.

"Haku?" Ichigo asked uncertainly, confused that her happy demeanor from before was perturbed so quickly.

Slowly, she raised her head and locked her ruby red eyes with Ichigo's honey brown. He could see it in them, her hesitation, her fear, she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to. "Ichigo." Her voice was so small, only a little bit louder than a whisper, but carried such anguish that it surprised him. "We'll see each other again, right?" She leaned closer to him, her voice getting louder as she talked and the urgency in it almost becoming visible.

So that's what was bothering her. She was afraid that once he'll leave, they'll never see each other again and she'd return to her normal, pitiful state. She dreaded the possibility of that happening. Not one to lead a person astray, Ichigo decided to solve this issue with the girl.

"Of course we will, didn't I tell you that we're nakama?" He asked as a matter of fact, his voice clear while harboring a soothing tone. All for the sake of brightening up her mood. He didn't want to see her in that state again, he didn't want to see tears falling from her beautiful orbs again, nor did he want to hear her beautiful voice release another broken cry. He didn't want any of that.

Once again, the warmth of his voice reached her body, her skin receiving it like a plant that hungers for sunlight. It calmed her and reminded her that this boy was serious, but after everything he did for her, why did she doubt him in the first place?

"Here, let me give you my phone number so that we can talk later." Shoving a hand in his pocket, Ichigo quickly brought out his black phone, Haku mirroring action by revealing her own white phone. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw the little white cat ornament for it and chuckled amusedly, an action which embarrassed Haku. After the exchange was finished, Haku timidly gazed at him before deciding that she should say something to him.

"I'll see you later then." Her voice was small again, doubt latching her every word. Turning around before the substitute could even respond, she started heading for her apartment, disappointed with herself that this was the best response she could have come up with. It was pathetic, but she was a failure so maybe it was expected of her.

Hearing her words, Ichigo couldn't help but get the feel that her departure wasn't a pleasant one, that she was at odds with herself. As he thought of what to say to her, some old words spoken to him from a few years ago entered his train of thoughts.

"Oi, Haku!" Ichigo called out to her retreating form, just before she entered her home. Stopping, the silver haired beauty turned around, her eyes harboring the unmistakable emotion of curiosity. "Don't give up." He told her strongly, his words almost hitting her like a hammer as her entire face morphed into a surprised expression. "As long as you'll keep facing forward and don't give up, you'll never be a failure."

She was left speechless, his reply imprinting itself on the surface of her brain. The way he said it, the tone of his voice, the intensity in his eyes, all were so spot on, it was almost as if the sentence was his life code or at the very least a part of it. But she understood them, she understood what he was trying to say, the message that he wanted to give her. He was right, she couldn't afford to surrender now. It wouldn't be fair to Neru, to her brother or to Ichigo, but most of all, it wouldn't be fair to herself.

For the second time that day, Ichigo was caught off guard when she once again gave him one of her dashing smiles, nearly rooting him to the spot. "Thank you, Ichigo." Her silent message only reached the substitute moments after it was actually pronounced. "Good night." The next words broke him from his trance as he realized his place. Grinning in reply, Ichigo replied with a short. "Good night." and turned around ho head to his own place.

Regarding him for a few more seconds, she watched his form disperse in the dark before closing the door and entering her apartment. Taking a deep breath she pondered on what to do. Taking her phone out again, she dialed a number and placed the device at her ear, waiting for a response.

She didn't have to wait much. "HAKU!" Recognizing the loud voice of her brother, the red eyed girl distance the phone to protect her eardrums before figuring out what to say.

"Yes Dell, it's me." She responded calmly, ashamed that she made her brother so worried about her.

"Where the hell are you? Do you have any idea how worried I was for you?" Each word made Haku regret her actions more and more.

"I'm sorry Dell, for everything." She started slowly, her voice tranquil and melancholic. "I'm home right now."

"...You're home?" The voice on the other side replied incredulously, almost unconvinced by her words.

"Yes." She confirmed.

A silence followed the line for the next few moments. "...Stay where you are, I'll be there in a minute." He ordered calmly, but Haku knew that he was upset, he was only controlling himself for her sake. After confirming that she wouldn't go anywhere, she ended the call and went to the kitchen to get a beer. As much as she was ready to change her way, she couldn't face her brother without having something to help her mood.

After only five minutes, the front door burst open and a figure quickly stepped inside, slamming the door close behind it. "Haku, where are you?" Her brother was back, she'd recognize his worried voice anywhere.

"In the kitchen Dell." She informed him from said room. While waiting for him, she took a seat at the table, her head resting in her palm as she thought about her day while occasionally taking a sip from her beverage.

Entering the room, the girl met face to face with what appeared to be, a male version of her. The man in front of her had silver hair, shorter than Haku's and tied in a ponytail as well as the same ruby red eyes as her. His expression was much more hostile as he was more stronger emotionally than her. She could see how tired he was, his constant work draining him every day, he didn't need any more problems, especially problems caused by her.

"Dammit Haku, where the hell were you?" He pretty much demanded of her, his anger getting the better of him, like it usually happened. "When I saw that you didn't come home, I searched everywhere for you. What were you thinking, disappearing like that?" His questions came out in rows of words, a seemingly endless well.

Standing, she approached him slowly. She could hear every one of his words, his frustrations, she knew he was right. Stopping in front of him, she gave him a sorrowful look, one that conveyed her feelings perfectly and halted his avalanche of complains.

"Dell." Her voice was low, but the man could feel the sincerity in it. Slowly, her slender arms found his back as she brought him in a hug, burying her head into his shoulder.

"Haku?" Confused, the white haired man was lost on what his sister was doing. This wasn't like she usually acted when he scolded her for drinking or staying out late. Then again, this is the first time she was gone for so long. Maybe something happened to her during the night?

Her next words though brought him back. "I'm sorry." And just like that, all the tension left his body as exhaustion replaced it without any remorse. Nearly crashing from the abrupt change, he released a breath and calmed his throbbing head. He was tired, very tired and no doubt she was as well.

"Let's go get some sleep." He told her, taking her head away from him so that she could look into her eyes. "We'll talk more in the morning. Okay?" After receiving her not, he squeezed her shoulders a bit more before turning to his room and started dragging his body to his bed before it failed him.

Watching how the male opened the door to his room and enter it so painfully made Haku wish that she would have never done something like this. But by doing it, she was able to meet the orange haired teenager. And speaking of him, she'd have to tell her brother everything that happened between them. Knowing her brother, she could only imagine how hard it was going to be.

At that point, the words that were spoken to her earlier echoed into her mind. "Don't give up." That's what he said. And she didn't plan on doing it anymore, not if it meant making those she cared about suffer. She needed to change, the come out of the hell she drowned herself into, but she doubted she would be able to do it alone.

Pulling out her phone, she glanced at her most recent contact, a small smile forming on her lips. No, she wasn't going to do it alone, not anymore. With that settle, she headed for her own room, both her mind and body demanding her to reach her bed where she would get lost in her dreams.

**xxx**

AN: And that's it, the second chapter. Honesty speaking, it felt kinda bad to me. I feel that I've made both Ichigo and Haku out of character. I'm not that good when it comes to romance, but I hope I will get better with time. This story is my experimental area for my main story. What I learn here, I'll use there. It's a win-win if you think about it.

That said, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Tell me what you guys thought of it and if I did anything wrong. Maybe even something I can improve.

And that's it for now. Don't forget to review and/or favorite if you like the story. Until next time.

Bye Bye.


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